


infectious

by envysparkler



Series: Amplector [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Brother Acquisition, Cuddle Pollen, Dick Grayson is Robin, Gen, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Non-Consensual Cuddling, Whump, fear of sexual assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29225874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/envysparkler/pseuds/envysparkler
Summary: Jason is sneaking back to his hidey-hole with some ill-gotten goods when he spots Robin stumbling in an alleyway.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd
Series: Amplector [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114211
Comments: 127
Kudos: 804





	infectious

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to Ise, Peri, and Daisy, for giving me way too many baby Jay feels. You monsters.
> 
> Content warning: a character mistakenly assumes that cuddle pollen is sex pollen.

Jason didn’t _like_ stealing. He didn’t want to be a thief. But he’d run out of the last bit of cash he’d taken from his foster home, and it was either stealing or turning tricks on the street if he wanted to fill his rumbling stomach.

He knew stealing was bad, but it was a tiny loaf of bread, no one was going to miss it – much, he winced as he remembered the red-faced shopkeeper trying to chase him – and Jason was already dreaming of the sweet, delicious taste of bread when he spotted a weaving figure in the next alley.

Jason froze – he used the alleyway as a shortcut back to the abandoned building he squatted in, and he’d take an extra ten minutes if he had to go the long way, but this guy was clearly drunk and Jason didn’t want any trouble –

Wait a minute.

Red, green, yellow, and a shorter stature than Jason had been expecting.

That was _Robin_.

Jason cast a wary glance around the street and edged into the alleyway, tucking the bread into his hoodie. It was small, and squished easily, so Robin wouldn’t be able to tell that he was the thief, there were a lot of kids running around Crime Alley, and a red hoodie wasn’t _that_ distinctive. He just needed to edge around Robin, very casually, and he’d be on his way home.

Robin stumbled, and fell to one knee. He pressed a shaking hand to his head, and made a low moan.

Jason stilled.

He wasn’t one of those bat stalkers, or whatever they called themselves – he’d run into a shrimp even skinnier than him the other day, clambering up a fire escape with a _camera_ , Christ, those people were insane – but Robin didn’t look too good. And _everyone_ knew that Poison Ivy had escaped Arkham yesterday.

Jason swallowed and edged back a step. Long way around it was. Hopefully Robin hadn’t seen him. He would have to carefully, _quietly_ leave before Robin turned around and spotted him and attacked – he was too young to remember the last time Ivy had escaped, but he’d heard his fair share of the crude comments people made about sex pollen being the perfect excuse.

He ducked back around the edge of the alleyway, and hid in the shadows before he could be seen – there was a gang coming his way, a bunch of older teenagers with baseball bats, passing around a bottle in a brown paper bag and talking loudly and raucously. Everyone else on the street had melted away and the group spread out, taking up the majority of the street as they drew closer, kicking empty cans and rattling nearby doorknobs and shrieking in malicious glee.

Shit.

Jason darted a glance between the gang and Robin – on one hand, the gang was definitely looking for a fight. On the other hand, Robin had been hit with sex pollen.

In the end, math won out.

Jason darted back into the alleyway, holding the bread tightly – it would be even worse to lose the meager bit of food that he’d slinked out at night to get – and slowed as he got closer to Robin, who was leaning against the brick wall, curled up like he’d taken a punch to the stomach. Jason gauged the distance to the dumpster and the fire escape, trying to find a way past that wouldn’t entail walking right by Robin, but unerring white eyes snapped in his direction before he could come up with an idea.

Jason froze, mid-step. The white lenses narrowed as Robin uncurled – slowly, gracefully, a predator slinking forward for the kill, Jason’s heart was hammering in his throat –

“Hey! That’s Robin!”

White lenses drifted behind him, and Jason took full advantage of the distraction – he sprinted past Robin, ready to twist out of any sudden grasp, clutching the bread – but Robin didn’t move to attack him. Instead, he wavered again, taking a slow, stumbling step towards the group, one arm clutched tightly around his stomach and – and Jason stuttered to a stop.

There were vicious smiles on the gang’s faces, some of them already swinging their bats in practice runs, and Robin wasn’t moving, wasn’t running, wasn’t trying to defend himself – he wasn’t even lucid, and when those guys figured out that he’d been hit with sex pollen –

Jason couldn’t let that happen. Not to _Robin_. Not to the one shining beacon of light in Gotham’s darkness.

He could almost see it in his mind – Robin, mindless, crying, passed around just like that bottle they were sharing, bloody and broken and maybe even _dead_ –

Jason lunged forward and grabbed Robin’s wrist. Those creepy white eyes snapped towards him, and Robin swayed in his direction. Jason didn’t waste any time on thinking about what he was doing, just tightened his grip and pulled Robin with him as he ran.

Robin thankfully got with the program – the gang was shouting behind them, insults and curses and pounding footsteps, and Jason wasn’t strong enough to drag the boy, but Robin was running in step with him, his hand twisting in Jason’s grip so his fingers could curl between Jason’s, and Jason swallowed painfully but stuck to his memorized route, darting through the alleyways he knew like the back of his hand.

Despite Robin’s bright yellow cape, they managed to lose the gang – Jason took a brief pause, panting as they waited in the shadows next to a dumpster. The abandoned building was across the street and one block down, he’d made a little hollow for himself with a couple of empty crates on the second floor, they’d be safe there –

Warmth pressed all along his back and Jason froze. Arms encircled him, slender but strong, and Jason ducked out of the grasp before they could squeeze tight and refuse him any escape.

“W-wait,” Jason stuttered, backing up as Robin pushed forward, hands reaching out again. “Just – just not here, okay?” Not on the street, where anyone could see, when Jason might not be able to walk afterwards.

He didn’t want to take Robin back to his hiding place, but at least he’d be able to recover there. He had a few water bottles and – and his bread, Jason blinked, tears prickling, and he’d be able to last it out until it stopped hurting.

Robin wasn’t listening. He lunged for Jason again, and Jason skittered back before grabbing a wrist again. “Come on,” Jason said, tugging Robin with him as they emerged back on the streets. They didn’t have much time.

He was hyperaware of Robin drifting closer and closer as Jason led them to the abandoned building, creeping into Jason’s personal space, arms pressed tight and breaths ruffling the top of Jason’s head. Thankfully, he didn’t try to take Jason right there in the open, and Jason managed to pull him into the building before Robin started to get handsy again.

Jason couldn’t wriggle out of his grasp this time, Robin wasn’t holding him tightly but he was cutting off all escape, twisting around Jason as he turned and elbowed. Hands were drifting over his shoulders, scratching against his hoodie, and his whole vision was turning blurry.

He pushed at Robin, forcing him forward – he couldn’t stop this, not now, but he could get _comfortable_ , as much as possible, anyway, and there was a blanket in his nest of empty crates. It was rough and scratchy, but it was better than the cold floor, and Jason couldn’t help the sob when Robin actually let himself be maneuvered over to the crates.

Jason shoved the bread into a dry corner – he didn’t want it to get spoiled – and dragged the blanket out before Robin finally got impatient with all his wriggling and clamped down, forcing Jason still.

He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. He’d never done this before, but there had been a couple of working girls neighboring his old apartment, and he’d picked up enough to know that – that there was supposed to be supplies, that something needed to ease – ease the way – that this was going to _hurt_.

One of Robin’s arms was curled around his back, thumb idly rubbing over his ribs, while the other was drifting up his spine, curling into the hair at the base of his neck. Jason could feel his knees wavering as the cold reality of what he’d gotten himself into set in – his limbs felt like heavy weights, and everything was too loud, too present, too _real_.

His heart, pounding too fast, like it wanted to jump out of his skin. Robin’s arms, Robin’s hands, Robin’s fingers, the hair standing up on his skin, hyperaware of every shift of movement. The dryness of his throat. The chill of air beyond the warmth encompassing him. The quiet breathing and soft, pleased sounds as Robin ran his fingers through Jason’s hair – Jason waited for them to tighten and twist and force him to his knees.

He didn’t need to be forced to his knees. His knees didn’t feel like holding his weight up any longer, and he could hear the little shocked sound as Robin caught him instinctively, pressing him even closer, until Jason felt like he was being swallowed by the older boy.

Robin dropped gracefully to the floor, adjusting his grip – for one second, cold air rushed back in and Jason could see the darkness all around them, the blanket half-twisted beneath them, the stupid bread, if he’d never seen it, never went out that late, then he wouldn’t have –

But Robin would still have been drugged. And either he would’ve found someone else, or _someone_ would’ve found _him_.

Robin pulled him back into his lap and Jason squeezed his eyes shut – he didn’t want to see the colors, he didn’t need a further reminder of who was doing this. He just needed to grit his teeth and bear it – it would be over soon. He – he didn’t know how long the pollen lasted, but it would be just one night, right? He could last one night.

Jason pressed his head against the uniform – the material was a lot sturdier than it looked, and Jason buried his face in it, letting the tears seep into it, unseen. Robin was making soft, crooning sounds, one hand splayed across Jason’s stomach and the other one still drifting through Jason’s hair. Despite everything, it felt _nice_ , and the pit of dread and horror and misery ached even harder.

It was worse, knowing that Robin was being gentle and soft, it was worse than if he’d just got on with it and tore Jason apart, because this way Jason couldn’t forget that Robin was a victim too, that he didn’t want this any more than Jason did, that he couldn’t even hate him.

Maybe – maybe it wouldn’t hurt. Maybe Robin knew how to make it not hurt – Jason didn’t know how, but Robin could make _Batman_ laugh, surely he was a miracle worker, maybe this wasn’t going to be as bad as Jason thought –

Batman. He’d completely forgotten about Batman.

Jason tensed up immediately, and Robin’s humming shifted to concern as he held Jason tighter. Batman wouldn’t have left his Robin, drugged and alone. Which meant that either Batman was in trouble…or he was drugged too.

Jason started praying that he wouldn’t find them. Robin was one thing – Robin was small and gentle, but Batman was _huge_ and he never showed mercy and Jason couldn’t – he couldn’t – they would tear him apart –

Robin was trying to shush him, soft sounds over Jason’s gasped, desperate sobs and Jason burrowed deeper in the hold, wishing that Robin would just get it over with and _leave_ , he just wanted to sleep, he wanted to forget this night ever happened. His stomach was cramping painfully again, and Jason hiccupped, curling up further and wishing he’d grabbed a piece of bread before he threw it out of reach.

Robin kept petting his hair, running fingers through it in soothing strokes, and Jason felt himself calming down, gasps receding to hitched breaths and sobs dying to sniffles. His eyes were still wet and his cheeks were scratchy, he nuzzled further against Robin’s uniform – he was so _warm_ , and it felt so nice, it had been months and months and months since someone had held him like this, and his mom had always been cold, too thin and too weak, her whole arm trembling every time she tried to stroke his hair.

There was something clawing inside of him, a desperate need for more warmth, _more_ , and Jason pressed against Robin, throwing his arms around the older boy to squeeze tightly, and Robin reciprocated, encircling Jason tightly and bending down to rub a cheek against the top of his head.

Jason let his eyes drift closed as the searing urge for warmth abated slightly, the uniform rough against his cheek – the uniform that was still contaminated with sex pollen, a distant part of his mind reminded him. _Oh_ , Jason thought, with dimming clarity, _that makes sense now_.

Hopefully, this way it wouldn’t hurt at all. And Jason wouldn’t remember any of it.

The warmth was overtaking him, and he couldn’t remember why he’d been crying at all, this was the best place in the world, safe and warm in Robin’s embrace, like he was wrapped in a nice, snug cocoon.

* * *

Opening his eyes felt like a herculean task – they were sticky and tacky, his cheeks were itching, and his stomach felt like rats were gnawing on the insides.

He needed food.

He’d…gotten food?

Stealing bread. Robin. Sex pollen. The gang. Taking Robin back to his place, and everything began to get fuzzy after that, but Jason could feel the warm arms around him, the soft, silky material wrapped around them, and a heartbeat pulsing against his ear.

Jason forced his eyes open, and was met with dazzling blue, white lenses of the mask gone. “Good morning,” Robin chirped at him, and Jason distantly noted that there was sunlight coming through the window, “How are you feeling?”

His head hurt. His mouth was dry, he felt sick and dizzy and when he raised a wavering hand to push away from Robin, everything in his mind _screamed_ in protest.

“Shh,” Robin soothed, drawing him closer – both of them were wrapped in a dark blanket, but not one Jason had ever seen before – and rubbing his back, “It’s okay. It takes a little while for the cuddle pollen to wear off.”

Jason blinked at him. “Cuddle pollen?” he asked hoarsely, and Robin winced at the sound of his voice.

“Cuddle pollen,” Robin confirmed, “I got hit by Ivy, and I must’ve run into you. Sorry about attacking you with hugs,” he said sheepishly.

Jason stared at him. He hadn’t – he’d never heard of – “Cuddle pollen,” Jason repeated, still stuck on that point.

“Yeah,” Robin drew the word out, frowning slightly, “What did you think was happening?”

Jason didn’t say anything, but something in expression must’ve clued Robin in, because suddenly Jason was pressed against Robin’s chest, bundled even closer, and Robin was stroking his hair and murmuring apologies to the crown of his head, “I’m sorry, kiddo, I’m so sorry, I never meant to scare you like that, I’m sorry.”

Jason felt himself relax a little bit – his head hurt, but nothing else, and he seemed to be wearing all his clothes, and Robin certainly _looked_ sincere – but he curled up again, biting back a hiss, as his stomach felt like it was being sucked inside out.

“Kid?” Robin said frantically, rubbing his shoulder, “What happened?”

Jason gritted his teeth through the cramps, and limply flopped back against Robin, panting, as they eased. “‘M hungry,” he said thickly, feeling tears prickle in the corner of his eyes. He weakly twisted his head, searching for his crates and the bread he’d concealed inside –

He froze, every muscle in his body locking up, not even daring to breathe as he beheld the tall, forbidding shadow. Jason had to crane his neck to see the bat ears on top of the dark cowl.

“Kid?” Robin repeated quietly, and the tears welled up.

“My bread,” Jason gasped, because he couldn’t see it, because he couldn’t see _anything_ , there was nothing in the crates and his blanket and water bottles were laid neatly at Batman’s feet and he could feel the sickening twist that the world had been tugged out from under him, and it was worse than the anticipation of pain because _he didn’t know what they wanted from him_.

“You stole that bread,” Batman growled, and Jason cringed back. Robin, however, tightened his grip and let Jason curl into him.

“ _B_ ,” Robin groaned, “You’re unbelievable. Shh, kid, we have food, okay?” Robin reached out to a plastic bag Jason hadn’t noticed, and withdrew a sandwich.

Jason snatched at it before someone could take it away, almost inhaling it in his eagerness before Robin grabbed his wrist and urged him to slow down and chew. His stomach wasn’t happy with the sudden influx of food in gnawing emptiness, and Jason gasped as the cramps got _worse_ , curling up tightly as Robin brushed the hair out of his face and murmured something soft and soothing.

“It’s okay,” Robin said quietly, “Here, drink some water.” Jason almost took the bottle, before realizing it wasn’t one of his own.

There were three new bottles on the ground, apparently sealed, and Jason swallowed. He’d heard the rumors of what happened to people who got too close to Batman and Robin, who saw something they shouldn’t or put together a puzzle that everyone knew shouldn’t be solved.

“Please,” he said softly, “Please, I won’t tell anyone anything – I didn’t see anything, I swear –” he squeezed his eyes shut – “You don’t need to drug me, please –”

“It’s not drugged, I promise,” Robin said, face twisting up into a frown. He took the bottle from Jason, uncapped it, and took a gulp to prove it. It wasn’t the strongest evidence, but it wasn’t like Jason had much of a choice.

He took the bottle back when Robin handed it to him, and nearly spilled the whole thing over his shirt as he gulped the water down. “Easy there,” Robin laughed, rubbing his back, “There’s plenty of water, you don’t need to drink so fast.”

Except there _wasn’t_. Jason had finished the sandwich and there were only two more water bottles and he was so stupid, he should’ve been rationing the food and figuring out what they wanted for it, not scarfing it down while sitting in Robin’s lap.

The thought clearly occurred to Robin as well, because he tried to ease out from under Jason – key word being _tried_ , because Jason’s traitorous hand latched onto the front of his uniform and refused to let go.

Jason stared at it, mentally willing his fingers to uncurl and _let go_ – _warm_ , something in his head shrieked, _warm and safe_ like he was a fucking cat or something – and his arm trembled with the effort but he couldn’t do it.

Robin laughed, a bright, amused sound, and bundled him back into a hug, fingers again drifting through his hair. Jason leaned against him – he was going to enjoy this for its short-lived duration, even if he didn’t remember it in a couple of hours.

“B,” Robin said after a long stretching pause.

“Hn,” Batman replied.

“ _B_ ,” Robin repeated, sounding insistent.

“You know what Agent A said,” Batman growled.

“Please?” Robin asked, in a tone of pure wheedling – Jason glanced up, and was hit with a mournful expression and wide, wide blue eyes. He wanted to go get whatever was making Robin look like that and give it to him, and it wasn’t even aimed at _him_.

Batman, despite his general status as boogeyman of Gotham, folded under Robin’s pleading expression, his shoulders dropping in surrender. He came closer – Jason pressed back against Robin, his heart rate increasing again, and he was hiding under the older boy’s chin when Batman crouched in front of them.

“What’s your name?” Batman asked, in a tone that was less growly but still frightening.

“J-Jason,” he answered, desperately hoping that Robin didn’t decide to push him off and leave him at Batman’s nonexistent mercy.

“Where are your parents, Jason?” Batman asked.

Jason had gotten sick and tired of hearing that question. “Where do you _think_?” he snapped, and then promptly realized he’d _snapped_ at _Batman_.

“He’s not going to eat you,” Robin said, still sounding amused, but he let Jason tug the dark blanket over his head as he burrowed back into Robin’s embrace. “B?” Robin asked, and Jason listened to Robin’s steady heartbeat, in tune with the fingers slowly stroking his hair, and wished this would never end.

There was a heavy sigh. “ _Fine_ ,” Batman growled, “But you are explaining this to Agent A.”

“Yes!” Robin cheered, and tugged the dark blanket – that, Jason was beginning to realize, bore a startling resemblance to Batman’s cape – down enough to see Jason’s face. “Hey, Jay, how would you like to come home with us?”

Jason stared at him, silently mouthing the words _‘come home’_. What – was Robin _serious_?

“What – _why_?” Jason couldn’t settle on a question. “What do you mean, _come home_?”

“To live with us, Jaybird,” Robin grinned, “All the food you can eat! An actual bed! _And_ I get a little brother!” He nuzzled Jason’s hair again. “And because it’s my turn.”

“Your turn?”

“Everyone gets a turn to add someone to the family,” Robin beamed at him.

“That is not how it works,” Batman growled. Robin pretended like he didn’t say anything.

“So, what do you say, Jaybird?”

Jason stared at him, bewildered. He’d _say_ it was too good to be true. But Robin was still petting him and the thought of _more food_ was making his stomach grumble again. Maybe – maybe he could give it a chance?

“O-okay –”

“Great!” Robin kept smiling, and Jason felt his lips twitch despite himself, the cheer was infectious. At least this meant that they wouldn’t drug him to make him forget?

Jason yelped as Robin stood up, easily balancing Jason on one hip and keeping the cape wrapped around him. “Let’s go home, Jaybird.”

“I – I can walk.”

“I know,” Robin grinned, “But can you _fly_?” 

**Author's Note:**

> Years later, a different Robin is hit with cuddle pollen, and ends up bringing a baby stalker home.
> 
> The baby stalker stumbles upon an ex-assassin who has no idea what 'cuddling' is, after another Ivy rampage.
> 
> The ex-assassin ends up snuggling with Spoiler after accidentally triggering something at Robinson Park, and 'no Cass, you cannot adopt someone who already has guardians, Cass _no_ \- I give up'.
> 
> Spoiler, after a patrol that ended with a face-off against Ivy, ends up glomping a scowling boy who should not have been in the Cave in the first place, and when they're separated, Spoiler needs ten stitches and an antidote but she has a baby brother.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [contagious](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29342163) by [Valkirin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valkirin/pseuds/Valkirin)




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